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Hexlithin
A dragonborn Freehold located on the fringes of the kingdom of Hoffendale, within the western edge of the province of Jurtland. Though an independent entity, the Freehold has long been the subject of negotiations to form a protectorate of the kingdom, with many within the court of Lothindon considering it a rebellious state rather than a separate entity. History The history of Hexlithin is kept mainly through oral tradition, with each major period of the clan being the title of a song well known to everyone as they grow up within the clan. Whispered Age Considered an age of great magic, when gods and mortals interacted, it is filled with verses on the subject of betrayal, love, war and the recovery from catastrophe. A Shelter for Fools On the subject of how the settlement was founded, the clan have a myth centered around a figure known as the Jester, a mocking entity that was banished from the court in which they played the fool, traveling around Tolas until they found some dragonkin that were far too proud and devoted to concepts such as honour, and being serious, known as vern (a term that now means stuck up or spoilsport in Hexlithin culture). As a trick, this Jester taught the children of these dragonborn some music, giving them a rebellious spirit, they too were exiled from there family and left to wander the world. Feeling bad for their trick, the Jester guided the wayward children to the lands where Hexlithin now stands. Song of the Iron Walkers This song relates to the story of first contact with knights, an order of dragon hunters that were seeking to slay a wyrm that had been in the region. The knights had a big impact on the children of the community, with many dressing up in pots and pans and clashing into one another. This song links to the historical description of the beginning of Reute's War and is thought to be a stylized interpretation of events. Last of the Singers A sad song devoted to the death of a bard that had left the community and to fight in a conflict that was gripping Hoffendale, the warrior dying a tragic death. It is seldom sung in front of strangers. Again this is likely to be connection to Reute's War, with those that died in the conflict from Hexlithin being represented by a single person. Words of Men Marking the period of opening contact with Hoffendale fully, this song is often sung in a mocking tone with people wearing silly hats and performed by children in heavy accents. Heralds of the Coming Doom The song explaining how the clan was named, with two harmonies. It marks the period when men from Hoffendale as kingdom first began to enter the clan. Bargain at the House of Stone A piece that details the first time that a number of the Hexlithin dragonborn were hosted by a lord of Jurtland, the song begins with the dragonborn presenting themselves as noble ambassadors but ends with the dragonborn stealing the silverware and being run out of the town. The Dreaded Silence The song written for the Silence of the Gods, it has almost no humorous aspects, except for one flatulence gag that was added once the Silence ended. Days of Crescendo The current era are called the Days of Crescendo, always sung as being the last days, though this is another joke as it has been a song sung in almost every age. When asked why they still sing it the elders of the clan said that if they keep claiming that this era is the end of the world then when the world does end they will be right. Holdings Clan Chambers The clan has a number of above ground beehive shaped homes clustered around a large longhouse that is filled with laughter and music. Caves of Harmony Below the longhouse is a network of caves that stretch into the Boneways where the majority of the clan live. These caves allow sound to travel, with surprisingly excellent acoustics throughout its different levels. Lands of Melismat The lands surrounding the Freehold are known as Melismat, farmed by humans of Hoffendale, the two people have lived in relative peace, with only the occasional prank gone too far warranting censure. Culture Song of the Coming Doom The name of the clan, Hexlithin, is actually an inside joke among the dragonborn based around their first encounter with humans who thought them to be a proud warrior race (mainly due to their human ears not understanding the sarcastic tone of the dragonborn). They were asked what name they went by, the clan elders calling themselves the hexlithin, "''Heralds of the Coming Doom", adopting a serious tone that spoke of a terrible woe and dread creatures that would come to the lands of men if they tried to take the dragonborn lands, accompanied by many illusions and explosive displays of magic. The humans that traveled to the Freehold were all told the same story, unaware that as soon as they left the dragonborn burst into fits of laughter. As the Kingdom of Hoffendale has established greater contact with the dragonborn the reputation for being proud and stoic warriors seems to conflict with the behaviour of those they meet, with those claiming to be emissaries of the clan that are hosted at the manors of lords often just being young dragonborn looking to play pranks on the local aristocracies and get some free food. Bardic School Almost everyone in Hexlithin sings, and absolutely everyone engages in practical jokes, with some families being led by the funniest people in the clan. Bards are common in Hexlithin, with the innate draconic magic coming naturally to great storytellers and comedians of the community. Clan Structure Dragonborn make up the majority of the clan, with a small community of kobolds that hold equal status in society. Once a generation a dragonspawn is born, this individual is most often used as an example of the common Hexlithin warrior to human nobles, with the best being able to keep their composure and not smile in front of the terrified lords and ladies. Leadership The clan follows the template of most dragonborn freeholds, with families being part of the clan, which they usually refer to as ''miirrik ''or ''song, though if asked by a foreigner what they call themselves they call themselves hexlithin, usually with a low voice accompanied by various mysterious hand movements. The families have leaders based on the elders of the clan, with occasionally some members dressing up as old people to appear as elderly at clan meetings so they can have longer to talk. Dead Singers The spirits of the clans' ancestors are often consulted when major decisions are to be made, or if advice is being sought on a particularly good punchline. Sometimes the spirits haunt the clan, knocking things over or leaving messages scrawled across walls, usually riddles or limericks with gawdy undertones. Heralds Heralds are those bards capable of particularly powerful magics able to practically defend the community, considered masters of comedic timing and reading a crowd. Chorus The people of the clan are content to let the elders make most decisions for the clan, as it usually just means making the decision on when festivals start. Religion The Great Hymn Believing music to be the voice of the soul, the dragonborn of Hexlithin revere spirits of their ancestors still able to sing to them as well as the power of their own voices. The Ten For more on this topic, see here. Missionaries teaching the Hexlithin clan the Common Tongue also brought with them worship of the Ten. Of them Sune and The Mockery have gained limited popularity in the Freehold. Dragons For more on this topic, see here. A minority of the Hexlithin clan worship dragons, considering them to be the pinnacle of creation, and thus the perfect subjects for parody. Politics With other Freeholds Many of Hexlithin's young folk travel the world, some go to other dragonborn Freeholds to meet their kin, few stay with these communities however, often due to the locals growing sick of their antics. Fothis For more on this topic, see here. One of the closest Freeholds to Hexlithin, Fothis occasionally sends its budding bards to learn from the musical masters of the clan. With Hoffendale For most of the clan's contact with Hoffendale their has been a refusal to take the kingdom seriously, it was not until an expedition of recent bard graduates to play a prank upon the Crownless King that the dragonborn actually realised how large the kingdom was, growing disillusioned when they were unable to make it to Kurtland. These bards returned with tales of their travels but also warnings of the strength of the humans, though this earned them a label as being vern. Bards now travel to the various noble houses around Hoffendale, some singing, others telling stories or dancing. Category:Dragonborn Category:Etan Category:Location